The Miracles Right Outside The Window

For a small-town person who for a long time had never stepped out of her home country, the concept of skyscrapers did not seem like that big a deal until the first trip to the US happened. I showed up to work with a sore neck on my first working day in the US, thanks to my walk the previous day which was mostly spent craning my neck at the massive tall structures present everywhere in Times Square.

My First Tryst With Skyscrapers in Times Square, New York City

If I was awed by looking at them from the streets, imagine my excitement when I was told I would be working in one of those fancy buildings for the next month, that too from the 40th floor of one such beauty. The 30 Rockefeller plaza is a beautiful building, and given it houses my very first US office it is all the more special to me.

30 Rock Behind The Lighted Up Tree

It was in 30 Rock I first learned to appreciate the advancements made in architecture by humankind, witnessing the city from the bird’s eye view, traveling up and down the super speed elevators and what not. And, it was through the windows here I witnessed my first snow fall.

My First Snow Fall As Seen From One of the Windows of 30 Rock

It took me a while though to get used to the overwhelming feeling that used to envelope me every time I gazed outside the window. The architecture marvel that was presented to me always managed to take my breath away. Specifically on one bright sunny day, when the Sun God decided to splash bright hues of golden yellow onto the clouds surrounding the Empire State, I happened to look out at that right moment and captured the elegance of that view on my phone camera.

View from 40th Floor of 30 Rock, New York City

If the day time view was spectacular for it’s golden elegance, the night time view made it appear like different colored diamonds strategically scattered just to make the city sparkle and come alive in a beautiful way.

Skyscrapers In New York City Downtown As Seen From the Client’s Office

The night views had me so entranced that when in Dallas, I took it on myself to note the difference between day time and night time appearance of the same view and shot two pictures from the same spot spaced between few hours. The slide show below would show how both the views are magnificent and glorious in their own way.

The other beautiful night time view I had the opportunity to view was the one from Miami office where we get to revel in the beauty of the different colored lights set at the backdrop of the endless blackness of the ocean.

Miami Downtown @ Night Time

My most favorite of all the night time views though, is the one of Chicago downtown. It did not help to have ready access to such views at a tilt of the head, especially when the project is stressful. These views, quite evidently, were a distraction from other important things at work- like finishing the work in time. The worst part is, staying back to complete the work doesn’t help quicken the process by any means for we have to deal with the breathtaking beauty brought about by the mélange of shimmering lights.

Distracting Beauty of Chicago @ Night Time

If the artificial lights can look so beautiful from up top, imagine how the sunsets which naturally brings with it beautiful splashes of gold, orange and red would look from up top. As expected the sunsets enticed me in an altogether different way with the golden rays reflecting off other skyscrapers in the vicinity making the whole city look like one magical kingdom.

Sunset @ Chicago, as seen from the 74th FloorSunset as seen from the top floor (52nd) of the tallest building in Tulsa

While the night time views and the sunsets showcased the beauty of man made and natural wonders, there are some ordinary views I have captured from the offices which on a closer look might not seem all that ordinary.

Below is the view from the 44th floor of Houston office. Compared to the beautiful lights and buildings seen in views from other offices, this would seem quite underwhelming. But look a little closer and see if you can spot another architectural marvel made possible in the United States.

When I saw the different levels of the expressway, the main artery of the city, from up top, I was left wondering, “How is it even possible to have one road on top of another and then another and then another?” 6 levels in all!

If having so many levels in an expressway made my eyes go wide in wonder then imagine how would I have felt when I had the opportunity to view Boston from top! I knew then what being in a state of trance actually meant, for it seemed like I was truly in a dreamland where anything is possible. Look closer and spot two levels of the city of Boston.

Yes, The city of Boston is made up of two levels, with many buildings having more than one ground level. My childhood dreams were made up of buildings like these with me running up the stairs to find roads outside every level.

The below picture of Chicago roads is yet another seemingly underwhelming picture, I agree it looks pretty in its own way with Lake Michigan on one side and super cute buildings on the other. But look a little closer and you will see it’s more than just pretty. It showcases the significance of what a good planning and design could accomplish.

The meticulousness of urban planning as witnessed by the evenness of the positioning of the buildings on the right is yet another outcome of architectural miracles made possible here. A straight line could be drawn if we trace the foot of those buildings. Isn’t that amazing?

Chicago, is a city full of wonders, I am sure I would have spotted more of them if I had lived there a little longer. One last beauty of Chicago that I captured has something to do with a significant sculpture in Chicago. We all know the Bean right? Yes, it is one of the beautiful things about Chicago. But the next image in the slide show would help you see it in a different perspective.

The Cloud Gate or more fondly the Bean, which is overwhelming with its perpetual glow from the ground, resembles a tiny mercury droplet when seen from up top. It helped me appreciate the inspiration of the design of the Bean as envisioned by Anish Kapoor himself. I was also humbled at how tiny things seem from up top, even if it’s the mighty Bean which manages to entice every visitor to take a photo with it.

The next slideshow starts with a picture which is the most ordinary view of all, as it’s neither shot from a skyscraper nor does it have anything significant about it other than being conspicuous by the absence of anything in there. I had to wait for 4 months to spot anything at all, and that dear friends is exactly what I am talking about.

The photos, were shot from the similar spot from my office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, spaced between 4 months. In this short span of time, I saw the outsides convert from nothingness of endless whiteness to fullness of life marked by endless greenery. I couldn’t even make out the presence of the beautiful lake when I first shot this picture. This, to me is the best thing ever spotted outside the window.

I would like to close with this slideshow to help establish the point that no matter how busy we are when we make time to gaze outside the window we could spot many a miracle that would otherwise go unnoticed. “Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you”, Wayne Dyer once said. I am glad I gave myself several five minutes of such contemplations.